bellis



G. W. BELLIS.

CASKE CARRIAGE FOR BURIAL VAULTS.

MPLCATION FAILED MAR. I3, i915.

Patented Aug. 15,1916.'

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GEORGE YV. BELLIS, OF GALION, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL GRAVE VAULT COMPANY, OF GALION, OHIO.

GASKET-CARRIAGE FOR BURIAL-VAULTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aue To all 107mm t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BnLLrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galion, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casket-Carriages for Burial-Vaults, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to casket carriages for burial vaults, and has as its object to provide a carriage which will be inconspicuous, and upon which one end of the casket may be readily disposed when the casket is to be placed within the vault.

The carriage embodying the present invention is designed more particularly for use in metallic burial vaults, and thus the primary aim of the invention is to so construct the carriage that it will firmly support the end of the casket spaced from the floor of the vault as the casket is introduced into the vault, so that as a result the introduction of the casket is not accompanied by the usual grating noise, and it is not liable to meet with obstacles, rendering it unnecessary to shift it about as it is slid into place.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the proper guidance of the carriage as it travels toward the closed end of the vault, and t0 so construct the carriage that it will not be liable to slip or tilt from beneath the end of the casket.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a vault, illustrating the carriage embodying the present invention, and the track upon which the carriage travels, the view illustrating also one end of the casket supported upon the carriage; Fig. 2 is a perspective view looking at the underside of the carriage removed from the vault; and Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the carriage and Hoor of the vault and the track for the carriage.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and illustrated in all the views of the accompanying drawings 4by the same reference characters.

In the drawings, the body of the vault is indicated by the numeral 1 and the bottom or floor thereof by the numeral 2. The vault is provided, as usual, with a. closed end 3 and an open end 4L, which is to be closed by means of a door (not shown) seatmg against a flange 5 secured upon the inner side of the walls of the vault. This fiange 5 constitutes an element of a locking means for the door, which, however, is neither shown nor described for the reason that it constitutes no part of the present invention. The flange, however, as ordinarily proportioned is adapted to perform a function aside from its function in the lockmg device, as will be presently explained.

The carriage embodying the present invention is to travel upon a track which is secured upon the floor of the vault, and which as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings is of channel-iron formation, the channel or groove of the track being indicated by the numeral 6 and its attaching wings by the numeral 7.

The carriage embodying the present invention consists essentially of a plate 8, which is in general outline preferably rcc tangular, although it may assume some other form if found desirable. At the forward end of the carriage, the plate 8 is bent to form an upwardly projecting abutment iange 9 against which may be disposed the end of the casket supported by the carriage. A bearing bracket 10 is mounted upon the under side of the plate 8 immediately adjacent the upturned forward end 9 thereof, and in this bracket is journaled a roller 1l of a width to be received within the channel or groove G of the track. At this point it will be understood that the roller is to travel in the groove of the track, and that it supports the carriage 8.

By reference to Fig. l, it will be observed that the flange 5 is of such height at its portion which ext-ends across the floor 2 of the vault that the rear end portion of the plate which comprises the body of the carriage may rest upon its upper edge, the

forward end of the plate being supported by the roller ll. When so arranged, the end of a casket may be readily placed upon the carriage in position abutting against the upturned forward end 9 thereof, after which the other end of the casket may be slightly lifted and the casket shoved into the vault. Due to the forward pressure exerted by the end of the casket against the portion 9 of the carriage, there will be a tendency for the rear end of the carriage to tilt upwardly and, consequently, it is necessary to employ but a.. single roller for supporting the ear# riage. It will .furthermore be understood that the carriage is guided in its travel within the vault although supported by a single roller, for the reason that the roller is guided by the channel in the track. It will also be noted that due to the engaoement of the end of the casket against the forward end 9 of the carriage, there will be little or no likelihood of the carriage tilting from beneath the casket, or of the casket slipping oilz from the carriage.

What is claimed is The combination with a receptacle having a door opening therein and provided upon its bottom inwardly of the door opening with ay lflange, of a track arranged upon the said bottom of the receptacle and extending inwardly from the flange, and a carriage in eluding a supporting body, and a roller supporting said body and located forwardly of the transverse middle of the carriage and resting upon the said track, the roller supporting the forward end of the carriage, and the said flange being adapted for the support ol' the rear end of the carriage.

In testimony whereof l aiiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WV. BELLS.

lllitnesses l/V. H. IRWIN, J. M. TALno'r'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

